Everyday Injustice

In Episode 333 of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald speaks with journalist and author Justine van der Leun about her new book, Unreasonable Women: Three Stories of Violence, Imprisonment and Extraordinary Survival. The conversation explores a troubling reality within the criminal legal system: how survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse are often criminalized rather than protected. Drawing on years of investigative reporting and extensive research, van der Leun examines the stories of women whose attempts to survive violence ultimately led to their incarceration.

Van der Leun explains how her investigation began with the case of Nikki Addimando, a New York woman convicted after killing her abusive partner while claiming self-defense. The case prompted a larger question: How often are survivors punished for acts committed in the context of abuse? To find answers, van der Leun conducted a groundbreaking survey of approximately 10,000 incarcerated women, receiving more than 1,000 responses. Her findings suggest that a significant portion of women in prison are there because they acted to protect themselves or loved ones from violence, while many more carry extensive histories of abuse that went unaddressed by social institutions before they entered the criminal legal system.

The episode highlights the stories of three women featured in the book: Tanisha Williams of Michigan, who became entangled in a murder case after being coerced by an abusive partner; Gemma Heffernan of Missouri, who fought back against a husband who subjected her to years of violence; and TC Brooks of California, who killed her abusive stepfather after enduring years of sexual abuse and witnessing ongoing violence against her mother. Through these stories, van der Leun argues that the legal system often struggles to recognize the realities of coercion, trauma, and survival, instead relying on rigid categories that separate victims from offenders.

Throughout the discussion, Greenwald and van der Leun examine broader questions about accountability, systemic failure, and reform. Van der Leun contends that many of the women filling America’s prisons were failed long before they entered the criminal legal system and that their cases reveal deep structural shortcomings in how society responds to abuse. The conversation offers a powerful look at the intersection of gender, violence, trauma, and incarceration, challenging listeners to reconsider who the justice system punishes—and why.

On this week’s episode of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Ostler, founder of the Communal Theater Company and creator of the upcoming play “SisterPlay,” a deeply personal work inspired by the death of her sister Lisa while detained in the Salt Lake County Jail.

Ostler recounts how her sister, who struggled with addiction for years, died in custody in 2016 after repeated pleas for medical attention were ignored. Through court records and wrongful death litigation, Ostler learned the extent of the neglect her sister endured while suffering from a perforated ulcer and sepsis-like symptoms inside the jail. She explains how transforming that experience into theater became both a painful and healing process, allowing her to finally tell a story she could not previously discuss publicly.

The conversation expands into a broader examination of incarceration, medical neglect, punishment versus accountability, and the importance of restoring dignity to incarcerated people. Ostler and Greenwald discuss how dehumanization fuels systemic abuse inside jails and prisons, while emphasizing the role storytelling and art can play in fostering empathy and reform. Ostler argues that incarcerated individuals should be viewed as vulnerable populations deserving care and humanity, not merely punishment.

The episode also explores the potential of theater programs and restorative justice approaches within correctional settings. Ostler shares details about “SisterPlay,” which premieres in New York this September, and discusses her hope of eventually bringing the production into prisons and jails themselves. Greenwald highlights the shared mission between journalism and theater: humanizing people too often reduced to stereotypes within the criminal legal system.

On Episode 330 of the Everyday Injustice podcast, host David Greenwald examines one of the most overlooked yet devastating aspects of the criminal legal system: the widespread use of fines and fees as a mechanism of punishment and revenue generation. Joined by Joanna Weiss and Priya Sarthy-Jones of the Fines and Fees Justice Center along with Tiffany Shaw of JusticeLink, the discussion explores how court-imposed debt traps millions of Americans in cycles of poverty, instability and repeated contact with the justice system.

The episode highlights the distinction between punitive fines and the growing array of fees imposed simply for interacting with the legal system. The guests explain how people can be charged for public defenders, probation appointments, incarceration and other mandatory services, effectively transforming the justice system into a system financed on the backs of poor people. Weiss argues that while some monetary penalties may be appropriate if proportionate, fees themselves have “no place in the justice system,” particularly because they disproportionately burden low-income communities and communities of color.

Much of the conversation centers on the real-world consequences of court debt. Shaw shares her own experience navigating incarceration, probation and thousands of dollars in fines and fees while struggling to maintain housing, employment and basic stability. The guests describe how driver’s license suspensions for unpaid debt often create a downward spiral in which people lose employment opportunities, continue driving out of necessity and face additional criminal charges simply because they cannot afford to pay. According to the discussion, reforms advanced by the Fines and Fees Justice Center have already generated at least $37.5 billion in relief nationwide, though the speakers argue the true economic and human costs remain far greater.

Throughout the episode, the panel argues that the current system undermines public safety rather than promoting accountability. Research discussed during the interview suggests that unaffordable fines and fees are associated with higher recidivism rates and deeper economic insecurity, while reforms eliminating debt-based driver’s license suspensions and justice system fees have broad bipartisan support across the country. Greenwald closes the episode by emphasizing that meaningful accountability should help people rebuild their lives rather than permanently trapping them in debt and instability.

In Episode 329 of Everyday Injustice, the podcast features a wide-ranging and deeply probing conversation with UCLA professor Terrence Keel, a leading scholar examining the intersection of race, science and public institutions. The discussion centers on his new book, The Coroner’s Silence, which investigates how death investigations—particularly in cases involving police custody—can obscure rather than illuminate the truth. Drawing from years of research and analysis of hundreds of autopsy reports, Keel argues that official records often contain narratives that deflect responsibility away from law enforcement and toward the bodies of those who have died.

Keel explains that his work was partly inspired by national reactions to the killing of George Floyd, particularly the controversy surrounding the autopsy findings that created ambiguity about the cause of death. That moment raised broader questions about how medical examiners frame deaths in less visible cases—those without video evidence or public scrutiny. According to Keel, these patterns are not isolated but systemic, revealing how forensic language, institutional relationships and embedded biases can shape outcomes in ways that undermine accountability.

Throughout the episode, the conversation expands beyond individual cases to examine structural issues within the death investigation system. Keel highlights how medical examiners and coroners, often portrayed as neutral scientific authorities, operate within political and bureaucratic frameworks that may influence their conclusions. He points to conflicts of interest, including situations where law enforcement agencies are directly involved in or present during autopsies, raising serious concerns about independence and transparency. These institutional dynamics, he argues, contribute to a broader failure to accurately document deaths in police custody.

The episode ultimately situates these findings within a larger critique of the criminal legal system, emphasizing how gaps in mental health care, housing and social services have led to increased reliance on policing as a default response. Keel underscores that many of those who die in custody are among society’s most vulnerable, and he calls for systemic reform that includes independent oversight, improved transparency and a rethinking of public safety itself. The conversation offers both a sobering assessment of current realities and a framework for understanding how institutional practices shape public narratives about justice and accountability.

On Episode 328 of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald speaks with Matilde Hernandez, a wellness consultant, author and speaker whose life was transformed by incarceration and the long journey that followed. Hernandez shares how a first-time case in Georgia led to a prison sentence she says she did not fully understand, and how the experience forced her to confront trauma, shame and the challenge of rebuilding her life after release.

In a deeply personal conversation, Hernandez explains that incarceration is not only a physical place but also a mindset that can continue long after someone returns home. She describes the emotional toll of separation from her children, the burden of self-doubt and the years it took to truly forgive herself. Her story highlights the hidden barriers many formerly incarcerated people face, including stigma, housing insecurity, employment discrimination and untreated mental health struggles.

The discussion also centers on resilience and purpose. Hernandez talks about writing her book, Beyond These Walls, and the message behind its title: the internal walls people build out of shame, fear and pain can be dismantled. She reflects on how mentorship, therapy and faith helped her move forward, and why healing often begins when people believe they are still worthy of growth and opportunity.

Now nearing completion of her doctoral program, Hernandez is focused on helping justice-impacted youth build stable futures through mentorship, life skills and guidance. Episode 328 is both an inspiring personal testimony and a broader conversation about what true reentry should look like when society chooses restoration over punishment. It is a powerful reminder that people are more than the worst thing that has happened to them—and that every story can be rewritten.

In a wide-ranging conversation on Everyday Injustice, economist and policy researcher Jennifer Doleac argued that criminal justice reform should be driven less by ideology and more by evidence. Discussing her book The Science of Second Chances, Doleac said policymakers often adopt programs that sound compassionate or politically attractive without testing whether they reduce crime, improve lives or save money. Her central message was direct: governments should be willing to try new ideas, measure outcomes honestly and “fail fast” when programs do not work.

Doleac, now with Arnold Ventures, explained how economists use natural experiments to study policies that cannot ethically be tested through randomized trials. She pointed to research showing that increasing the certainty of being caught can deter crime more effectively than simply increasing sentence lengths. Using state expansions of DNA databases as one example, she said evidence suggests stronger detection tools may reduce repeat offending more than long prison terms, which she described as costly and often less effective once people age out of crime.

The interview also explored reforms that have fallen short. Doleac said research on “ban the box” hiring policies found unintended consequences, including increased racial disparities in hiring, while clean slate record-sealing laws have shown little measurable impact on employment outcomes so far. Rather than removing information and hoping behavior changes, she argued policymakers should identify what employers fear and directly address those concerns through better incentives, training and risk-sharing mechanisms.

Despite those critiques, Doleac struck an optimistic note. She said many effective reforms are practical, bipartisan and already within reach, from improving crime clearance rates to expanding interventions that help people avoid repeated system involvement. The larger challenge, she said, is cultural: rewarding leaders who admit when something is not working and pivot quickly toward better solutions. For a justice system often trapped between punishment politics and reform slogans, the interview offered a different framework — humility, experimentation and results.

A newly discussed investigative report is drawing renewed attention to allegations that contaminated water and failing infrastructure at Mule Creek State Prison may be harming both incarcerated people and residents in the nearby town of Ione. Journalist Emily Nonko said the issue has received far too little public scrutiny despite what she described as a major environmental and infrastructural breakdown. She noted that state agencies, prison officials and even many people directly affected appear to know little about the full scope of the problem.

According to Nonko, the reporting began after incarcerated sources raised concerns about unusual illnesses, foul-tasting water and widespread sickness inside the prison. She said the investigation gained traction when prior litigation forced admissions that key infrastructure systems had broken down, giving reporters documentary evidence to pursue a deeper story. Nonko and co-reporter Dave Razorbab then expanded the investigation through interviews with attorneys, local officials, staff members and town residents.

The report alleges decades of plumbing failures, wastewater mismanagement and possible contamination linked to prison operations. Nonko said residents with private wells found chemicals such as caffeine and dry-cleaning compounds that appeared tied to industries operating at the prison. She also described a broader accountability vacuum, saying multiple public agencies redirected responsibility rather than clearly identifying who was responsible for protecting water quality.

Nonko said the story remains ongoing, with additional residents and former staff continuing to come forward. She argued that the crisis illustrates how prison conditions do not remain behind prison walls, but can directly affect surrounding communities as well. As public pressure grows, the investigation raises larger questions about environmental oversight, transparency and whether California officials will be forced to confront a problem critics say has been ignored for years.

In the latest episode of Everyday Injustice, host David Greenwald sits down with historian Professor Josh Clark Davis of the University of Baltimore to explore a critical but often overlooked dimension of the civil rights era—organized resistance to police violence. Drawing from his new book Police Against the Movement, Davis challenges conventional narratives that frame police brutality as something endured rather than actively resisted, arguing instead that civil rights activists across the country directly organized against policing practices and state repression.

The conversation situates contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter within a deeper historical lineage, pushing back against the common media framing that modern activism represents something entirely new. Davis explains that while iconic images of police violence in Birmingham and Selma are widely remembered, far less attention has been paid to the ways civil rights groups—particularly organizations like CORE and SNCC—mobilized protests, sit-ins, and campaigns specifically targeting police misconduct and surveillance.

A key theme of the discussion is the role of local police departments—not just federal agencies like the FBI—in suppressing justice movements. Davis highlights the widespread use of “red squads,” local intelligence units that conducted surveillance, infiltration, and political repression across the country. These efforts, he argues, were national in scope and often more pervasive than commonly understood, reshaping how historians should interpret state power during the civil rights era.

The episode concludes by connecting these historical patterns to present-day concerns, including the expansion of surveillance technologies and the persistence of aggressive law enforcement tactics. Davis emphasizes that both the methods of repression and the strategies of resistance—such as documenting police actions and organizing community defense—have deep roots in the civil rights movement, underscoring the enduring relevance of this history in understanding today’s struggles for justice.

In Episode 324 of the Everyday Injustice podcast, host David Greenwald sits down with Kandia Milton, government affairs director at Dream.org, for a wide-ranging conversation on criminal justice reform, reentry, and the persistent structural barriers facing people returning from incarceration. Milton brings a rare dual perspective to the discussion, combining more than two decades of policy experience with lived experience of incarceration—an intersection that shapes both his advocacy and Dream.org’s mission to “close prison doors and open doors of opportunity.”

The conversation centers on a critical but often overlooked issue: how systemic barriers—particularly in housing—undermine public safety by making successful reentry nearly impossible. Milton explains how federal policy dating back to the 1988 Fair Housing Amendments Act allows landlords to deny housing based solely on prior drug convictions, a restriction that continues to affect millions of people today. He argues that repealing these provisions through the proposed Fair Future Act would not only restore basic rights but also reduce recidivism by removing one of the most significant obstacles to stability after incarceration.

Greenwald and Milton also explore the surprising, if fragile, potential for bipartisan cooperation in criminal justice reform. Despite deep political polarization, Milton points to areas of shared concern—housing affordability, public safety, and access to opportunity—as entry points for cross-partisan collaboration. While acknowledging the challenges of advancing reform in a polarized political climate, he notes that support for removing barriers to reentry has emerged across ideological lines, suggesting that pragmatic solutions may still be possible even amid broader dysfunction.

Ultimately, Episode 324 underscores a central theme: if society is serious about safety, it must invest in people rather than punishment. From housing access to job opportunities and mental health care, the episode makes a compelling case that reducing recidivism—and strengthening communities—requires a shift away from punitive systems toward policies that enable stability and success. As Milton puts it, the question is not whether people will return to society, but whether they will be given a real chance to succeed when they do.

In Episode 323 of the Everyday Injustice podcast, host David Greenwald sits down with Eric Morrison-Smith, Executive Director of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, for a wide-ranging conversation on criminal justice reform, systemic inequality, and the urgent need to rethink how society responds to harm. The discussion traces Morrison-Smith’s personal journey into advocacy, from his early experiences as a college athlete to a political awakening shaped by the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown and the broader movement for racial justice.

Morrison-Smith describes how his initial exposure to structural analysis—particularly through Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow—shifted his understanding from individual responsibility to systemic causation. That shift ultimately led him into organizing, policy work, and leadership in a statewide network advancing anti-racist reforms. His trajectory underscores a central theme of the episode: meaningful change requires not only personal commitment but also a deep engagement with the institutional frameworks that shape outcomes across education, policing, and economic opportunity.

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on youth justice, including efforts to end “endless probation” for young people in California. Morrison-Smith explains how prolonged system involvement often worsens long-term outcomes, reinforcing cycles of instability rather than promoting rehabilitation. He highlights firsthand accounts from incarcerated youth and emphasizes the importance of clear pathways out of supervision, noting that hope and a defined endpoint are critical to any meaningful reform effort.

The episode also explores broader policy initiatives, including campaigns to reduce reliance on punitive systems, expand community-based responses to crises, and address the root causes of violence—particularly intimate partner violence and economic instability. Morrison-Smith argues for a dual strategy of dismantling harmful institutions while investing in “life-affirming” alternatives, from youth employment programs to community-led safety initiatives. As the political climate shifts toward more punitive rhetoric, the conversation highlights both the challenges and the necessity of continuing reform efforts grounded in equity, accountability, and systemic transformation.